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UN TED STATES PATENT Curios ROSSVELL \V. HALE, OF \VESI BAY CITY,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TC ALLSCN TRUDO AND JOHN K. SAUNDERS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC BRIDGE-GATE.

ZJPEGIPICATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,034, dated July28, 1885.

Application filed April E5, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSSWELL W. HALE, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Bay City, in Bay county, and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Bridge-Gate, of which the followingis a specification.

Bridges which span navigable streams are usually provided with a portionwhich may be [0 drawnor swung around, in order that Vessels and boatsmay pass th rough,and while this portion or draw remains open or awayfrom the stationary parts of the bridge accidents are liable to occur,as the roadway of the bridge is open to the stream where it would beclosed by the draw were it in its usual position; and the object of myinvention is to provide a means of closing the open end of the roadwayat such times as the draw may be opened; and it consists, chiefly, of agate placed in aposition across the stationary part of the bridge andnear the end of the draw, and arranged to be raised or lowered out ofthe way of passing teams, 850., while the draw remains closed, andlowered or raised automatically to the roadway when the draw is beingopened, the said operations being performed by means of the mechanismhereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a bridge to which myinventionisattached. Fig.

2 is a transverse elevation of the same, showing position of themachinery when the draw is closed. Fig. 3 is a detached view showing thesame when the draw is open. Fig. 4 is a 3 5 side elevation of Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a portion of the stationary part of the bridge, and B isthe end of the 0 draw which joins on the part A when closed, and may beswung to the left or right to open the way for the passage of a craft inthe stream.

Across the stationary portion A, and near the edge of the draw B, isplaced the gate C,

5 the ends of which slide in grooves provided in the upright standards Dand D,which are attached to the sides of the part A of the bridge forthe purpose of carrying and guiding the gate.

At the top or upper end of the upright pieces D, and firmly securedthereto, are the brackets g and g, to which are secured in a suitablemanner the sprocket-wheels f and f Over these sprocket -wheels arepassed the drive-chains e and e, which also pass below the floor ofthebridge and around the sprocket wheels h and h, located in a line withand below the sprocket-wheels f and f. The wheels h and h are attachedto the ends of the shafts m and m, which extend to the edge of the sta-6o tionary part A of the bridge, and are provided at their opposite orouter ends with sprocketwheels a and a. The outer ends of the gate C areprovided with the lugs 19 and p, which are also attached to thedrive-chains e and e.

In a line with and midway between the wheels at and a, and attached tothe outer ends of the shafting 0 and 0, are placed the sprocket-wheels aand a, the wheel a being connected by the drive-chain b to the wheel a,and the wheel a connected to the wheel a by the drive -'chain 1). Theinner ends of the shafts 0 and 0 are provided with the gearwheels 0 andc, which are arranged to engage with each other, so that power appliedto either of the drive-chains b or b will move all the parts at the sametime.

Attached to the middle part of the draw B, and having one end extendingover and between the drive-chains b and b, is located the bar d, and tothe drive-chains b and b are se cured the lugs i and i and n and n insuch a position that when the gate C is raised to its highest positionand the draw B is closed the lugs i and i will be on opposite sides ofand near to the bar (1, as shown in Fig. 2, and as the draw B is swungaround for opening the draw the bar (I engages with the lug iand movesit, with the upper portion of the chain 1), to the side of the bridge,and the lug i, pass- 0 ing over the sprocket-wheel a, is carried be lowthe bar (I, which leaves it and passes on, leaving the lug a above thesprocket a, as shown in Fig. 4., to be caught by the bar 62 on itsreturn, when the draw is again closed and carried back to its formerposition.

By the motion imparted to the chain 1) the chains b and e and c areactuated,and the gate C is lowered across the roadway when the draw isswung open, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and raised above the roadway whenthe draw is again closed, as shown'in Fig. 2.

The bar (1 is provided with the slots 25, through which pass thefastening-bolts which secure it to the draw B, in order that it may bemoved back beneath and allowed to pass without engaging with the lugs 2,should it be desirable so to do.

Beneath the upper portion of the drivechains 1) and b, as shown in Figs.3 and 4, is placed a slide, S, for guiding and holding the chain inatrue and level position while being acted upon by the bar (1. The gate0 may also be located below the roadway, a suitable passage being leftin the roadway for the same, and the hereinbefbredescribed mechanismwill raise the gate Oabove the roadway by attaching the lug p to theopposite side of the chain 6, and it will again be lowered to its formerposition when the draw is closed. It will also produce the same resultshould the draw B be swung in either direction or swung entirely around,the opposite end being provided with a second bar, (I, which willactuate either chain 1) or b, as when the draw is open the lugs n and astand at either side ready to engage with the bar (I when the draw isswung into position.

Having fully described my improvement,

what I claim as my invention, and desire tov secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In an automatic bridgegate, the stationary part A and the draw B,provided with the bar d, in combination with the drivechains b and I),provided with the lugs 45 and i and n and n, as described, thesprocketwheels a, a, a, and a, shafts 0 and 0, gearwheels 0 and c,shafts m and m, sprocketwheels 7i and h, drive-chains e and e, lugs 12and p, and gate 0, located and arranged to operate substantially ashereinbeforc set forth and described.

2. In mechanism for operating a bridgegate, the combination of thehorizontal drivechains b b, provided with the lugs i and n, and theslides S, located beneath the upper partof the said chains,with the bard, attached to the draw B, and adapted to engage with the said lugs iand n, or to be withdrawn from contact with the said lugs, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

ROSSVELL \V. HALE.

WVitnesses:

G. H. FRANCIS, J. E. THOMAS.

